NATIVE OUTEAGE AT WANGAROA.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 272, 1 June 1866, Page 3

NATIVE OUTEAGE AT WANGAROA.

During her last trip down to Wangaroa (a port between the Bay of Island and Mongonui), on the 30th March last, Captain Delane, of the Hira, had as passengers, from Auckland, two young women, half-castes, but who have been brought up by and among Europeans. One of them was the daughter ofthe late Mr. James Whitaker, and she went down to Wangaroa on a visit, having received intelligence of the death of her father. The orther woman, also a half-caste, accompanied Miss Whitaker as an attendant. Upon the Hira leaving to return to Auckland, Miss Whitaker and her companion went on board, intending to return to their home, but while the vessel was beating down Wangaroa harbor. She was boarded by a canoe containing fifteen natives, who, forcing their way down into the cabin, seized the two women, threw them into their canoe, and carried them off to their settlement. Captain Delane, who behaved most nobly in the affair, though having no means of preventing the forcible abduction of the women from his ship was determined that they should not, if possible, be left with their captors. He at once landed, and having secured the assistance of a chief named Papl, followed the natives and their prisoners to the settlement, and ultimately through the aid of Paul and a payment of £5 in money, rescued the poor girls from the horrible fate in store for them, and got them on board his vessel without delay, and made all sail for Auckland, for even at this time another party of natives were collecting in their boat on the beach for the purpose of overtaking the vessel and recapturing the women. It is a great pity that the men-of-war lying in harbor do not occasionally take a trip round the coast, shewing themselves to the natives. At Wangaroa, for instance, the natives are very insolent and disorderly, from the simple fact that they never see any evidence of British power. Did a man-of-war occasionally visit these harbors on the coast the effect upon tlie native mind would be a salutary one, and such visits would give confidenceand support to the settlers. Wangaroa is a particularly neglected district. There is neither a Magistrate nor a Justice of the Peace in the district — no constable, and not even a Minister of any denomination. — New Zealand Herald, 4th May. * * «